Ezra 9

¹After these things had been done , the officials approached me and said , The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations , from the Canaanites , the Hittites , the Perizzites , the Jebusites , the Ammonites , the Moabites , the Egyptians , and the Amorites .

²For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons , so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands . And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost .

³As soon as I heard this , I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled .

⁴Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel , because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles , gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice .

⁵And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting , with my garment and my cloak torn , and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God ,

⁶saying : O my God , I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God , for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads , and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens .

⁷From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt . And for our iniquities we, our kings , and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands , to the sword , to captivity , to plundering , and to utter shame , as it is today .

⁸But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God , to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place , that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery .

⁹For we are slaves . Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery , but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia , to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God , to repair its ruins , and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem .

¹⁰And now , O our God , what shall we say after this ? For we have forsaken your commandments ,

¹¹which you commanded by your servants the prophets , saying , The land that you are entering , to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands , with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness .

¹²Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons , neither take their daughters for your sons , and never seek their peace or prosperity , that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever .

¹³And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt , seeing that you, our God , have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this ,

¹⁴shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations ? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant , nor any to escape ?

¹⁵O Lord, the God of Israel , you are just , for we are remnant that has escaped , as it is today . Behold , we are before you in our guilt , for none can stand before you because of this .